An Ideal Husband (DVD)

An Ideal HusbandLabel: Twentieth Century FoxDescription: This screen adaptation of the celebrated Oscar Wilde play stars Rupert Everett as Lord Arthur Goring a playboy who becomes embroiled in a scandal both personal and political when his best friend Sir Robert Chiltern MP (Jeremy Northam) is blackmailed by the devious Laura Chevely (Julianne Moore). Whilst attempting to aid his friend Arthur becomes socially entangled with both Mabel Chiltern (Minnie Driver) and Laura the latter enticing him with a tempting wager. The subsequent misunderstandings cause farcical repercussions to be felt around their entire social circle. For truly clever dialogue and a smartly structured plot you can't go wrong with Oscar Wilde. Wilde's play An Ideal Husband is not his best known but this film adaptation has all the wit you could ask for and a cast with the chops to deliver it: Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth Oscar and Lucinda) Julianne Moore (Boogie Nights Short Cuts) Minnie Driver (Grosse Pointe Blank Big Night) Jeremy Northam (The Winslow Boy Emma) and especially Rupert Everett (My Best Friend's Wedding A Midsummer Night's Dream) who tosses off perfect epigrams with unflappable aplomb. The plot hinges on Northam a member of Parliament (the British governing body not the funk band) with a skeleton in his closet who is blackmailed into a shady business deal by a lady of mystery (Moore) who turns out to be a loathed school chum of the parliamentarian's wife (Blanchett). Everything is resolved happily but not until after some devious twists of fate several mistaken identities lots of comic banter and much social skewering. Wilde whose troubled life and public exposure of his homosexuality is chronicled in the movie Wilde (1997) has a sharp eye for hypocrisy and the artificial poses demanded by society--but political commentary never gets in the way of a smart laugh. Visually sumptuous and briskly paced An Ideal Husband will satisfy anyone looking for social satire or romantic comedy. --Bret Fetzer

The "An Ideal Husband" DVD would be a perfect fit for individuals seeking a classic, English theatre production of Oscar Wilde's play, as part of their home theater setup.